A Painful Memory
by Kimberlae93
Summary: His face longed for the warmth of the sunlight that he knew waited for him on the outside; though the memory of its golden rays faded into the cruel darkness he unwillingly lived with.
1. Chapter 1

**_There is only one character in my story that is original and my own. The rest of the Naruto characters I do not claim as my own.  
I've purely used the characters for entertain in my fanfiction.  
Feel free to leave reviews! Positive reviews encourage me to write more and continue with my story._**

**_Thank you_**  
**_Kimberlae93._**

_The darkness engulfed his body, wrapping around him like a slick and evil shadow, suffocating him. He was deprived of water, and ached all over from the machines that dug into his flesh, the slices raw; where the utensils cut open his young body. His face longed for the warmth of the sunlight that he knew waited for him on the outside; though the memory of its golden rays faded into the cruel darkness he unwillingly lived with. He cowered in the corner of the room, his knees pulled into his chest and his face buried into them, hiding from the destruction around him, from the dead bodies that he knew lingered in chamber he was secluded in. He was the only one alive, the only one that survived. A bright light appeared in front of his eyes, causing him to squint for focus. A pale man with long brown hair bent in front of him, and smiled wickedly at the young boy. His unnaturally long tongue snaked out from his devil mouth, licking his lips and retreated into the grin. The man screeched and the little boy cried along with him, covering his ears that began to bleed, dripping through his fingers and falling around his body._

Yamato woke in a pool of sweat, his bed sheets tangling between his legs and suffocating his body. He wrenched them from the bed and leapt to his feet, stretching his back, satisfactory popping clicking down his spine. Walking to the bathroom, he rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily.  
"These dreams are taking their toll," He murmured as he turned the cold tap and splashed the refreshing water onto his tired face. The droplets dripped from his chin and down his shirt, cooling his chest beneath from the sweat that accumulated during his dream. Yamato dragged himself from the bathroom and to the balcony, perching on the railings, looking out over the Leaf Village. The moon light up the little village, highlighting the hokages heads on the mountain side.  
"Could these dreams, be collections of my past?" Yamato sighed and rested his head against the side of the house, staring up into the white moon. Yamato suppressed the memories of his childhood when he was younger, so even he didn't have much of a recollection of the events that happened. All he knew was that it was a pretty traumatic time for him, and if it weren't for the Anbu Black Ops, he wouldn't have been able to move on and cope. A chilly breeze brushed against Yamato, coating him and cooling his overheated body. A light in the distance caught Yamato's attention, the fiery glow within the forest, peeking his curiosity.  
"What in the world…?" Yamato retreated from the balcony, dressing hastily in his flak jacket and khakis, securing his weapon pouch to his waist. He ran for the sliding door, and leapt from the balcony, landing gracefully on the soft grass below. Yamato kicked into a run, closing in on the red glow that lit up the middle of the forest. Within minutes, Yamato detected the source of the red light that he spotted from his balcony. He watched from a tree, using his Earth style to mould with it and remain unseen.  
A woman stood in the middle of a clearing, her hands signalled and a fire burning in front of her. Her eyes were closed, and her body braced, facing into the controlled fire burning by her feet. "Fire style, fire wolf," The fire crackled and a strong breeze enhanced the intensity of it, whipping the woman's long, brown hair wildly around her. A shaped formed within the fire, and a battle cry howl echoed from the blaze. A large flame wolf stepped from the fire and stood in front of the woman, bowing majestically and obediently. The woman focused chakra in her hands and they began to glow blue. She smiled sweetly at the giant wolf and half bowed.  
"Thank you for coming to me," She sliced her chakra hands through the wolfs body and sent the flames into the sky, then proceeded to wave them, as if drawing in the sky. She blew into her palms and towards the flames that danced in the air, which formed the shape of a delicate lily. The woman giggled a melodic sound that coursed through Yamato's ears, and released the fire lily, it bursting in the air and sending sparks that looked like mini fireworks, descending to the ground. The fire in front of her calmed and resumed cackling quietly, and the woman sat in front of it and sipped at her canteen.  
_'Fire style huh? That was some unique conjuring. Manifesting objects within her fire.' _The woman rolled out a sleeping bag, and huddled inside. Yamato retreated from the forest and wandered back home, visions of what happened replaying through his head. Intrigued, Yamato intended on finding out more about this woman when the morning came. But that would have to wait as Yamato's head ached slightly from the lack of sleep. He leapt onto the balcony and settled within the sheets of his bed once more. His head hit the soft and fluffy pillows, and within moments Yamato fell into a dreamless sleep.

Yamato rolled over and squinted his eyes from the sunlight that blinded him through his door.  
"Gah!" Yamato squealed, very unmanly like, and scrambled towards the other side of his bed. A blue and white toned slug slid across his pillow and inched closer to Yamato.  
"Oh Katsuya, you frightened me,"  
"The Hokage has asked for you,"  
"Okay, I'll be there. Next time, try not to sneak up on me okay?"  
"Apologizes, Yamato," The slug slithered from Yamato's bed and exited through the cracked door.  
"Ugh, what a wakeup call," Yamato showered quickly and dressed in his navy uniform, attaching his weapon pouch and securing his headwear before heading to the Hokages office.  
The walk was brisk, as he passed through the middle of the markets, eying the different goods the townspeople shared with the rest of the village. A shop which held a variety fresh produce had a particular customer that caught Yamato's eye. A young woman, with long brown hair that was now securely bound in a ponytail, sunk her teeth into a fresh, ruby red apple. Her crystal blue eyes smiled kindly at the older woman running the stall, and she walked to the next, looking through a collection of jewellery. She wore a pair of mid-length shorts and a bright red Japanese styled top that had golden embroidery stitched in delicate patterns. . She was beautiful without a doubt, but something about her itched at Yamato, like something under his skin, something that he couldn't reach. Her eyes locked briefly with his and confusion crossed her features momentarily, replaced by a gentle smile, before walking to another store. Yamato shook his head and continued to the Hokages office, her bright blue eyes burning into his memory.

Lady Tsunade called to the soft knock at the door, inviting Yamato into her office. Tsunade lifted her head and greeted him, and immediately announced her orders.  
"Tenzo, you're going on a mission that I think you'll have particular interest in,"  
"My lady?" Yamato looked at the Hokage quizzically and glanced at Shizune briefly, waiting for an explanation.  
"An old hide out of Orochimaru's has been discovered, and our information states that it seems to be one of his original ones. Tenzo…" Tsunade stood and walked in front of her desk, leaning against it casually and looking him in the eye. _'Like a Band-Aid'_ she thought to herself.  
"There is evidence of previous experimentation that took place there. This could very well be where you were rescued from," Yamato's eyes widened briefly at the news.


	2. Chapter 2

"I want to send you, along with another Anbu member to investigate the place. We also have reason to believe that Orochimaru is back at that hide out, testing more subjects,"  
"Your sources, my lady?"  
"Team Asuma was sent on a different mission, and came across an underground lair. There were fresh corpses that had been lacerated, but in a 'humane' way," Tsunade shivered at the use of the word. There was no way that these victims were experimented on humanely, but they weren't ripped into and destroy violently.  
"They immediately contacted me about it, and continued with their mission. Now you must investigate," Yamato nodded and Tsunade sighed. Another soft knock at the door, and Tsunade looked at Shizune.  
"My lady, that would be Airi,"  
"Come in,"

Yamato turned to see the same woman from the markets entering the Hokages office. He gentle eyes brushed over Yamato quickly, before smiling formally at Lady Tsunade. _'I'm going on a mission, with someone I barely know?'__  
_"Airi, this is Yamato, you will be going on a mission with him. You leave first thing tomorrow morning. Yamato, you are dismissed," Yamato bowed to the Hokage and left her room, the soft thud of the door closing him from the rest of their conversation. He was still confused as to why he was being accompanied by the younger woman, who must be on a different Anbu squad, one he hadn't come into contact with before. Her blue eyes haunted his memory as he walked to the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant for lunch.  
He pushed aside the pieces of cloth, revealing his temporary squad of the Leaf Village eating at the bench.  
"Well hello,"  
"Captain Yamato! Joining up for lunch?" Sakura smiled sweetly at him and ordered a bowl of pork ramen.  
"Well thank you Sakura," Yamato sat next to the trio and waited patiently for his bowl of ramen to arrive. "It will be nice to get a decent meal before my mission," the bowl of steaming hot ramen was placed in front of Yamato, and it made his mouth water with anticipation. The delicious smells filled his nostrils and he started digging into his meal.  
"We're going on a mission Captain Yamata?" Naruto sounded eager and excited.  
"I will be yes, but you guys won't be coming,"  
"Aw man why not? I've been waiting for a mission!"  
"You'll have to take it up with the Hokage why Naruto," Yamato chuckled inwardly at the thought of Naruto taking on the Hokage about the mission. Yamato upended the bowl letting the juices slide satisfyingly into his throat.  
"I'm off to train, and then rest. I'll catch you guys when I get back," Yamato waved to the trio, and headed for the forest.

Airi took her time wandering back through the village after speaking to the Hokage. She munched happily on a stick of sweet dumplings as she viewed the stalls around her. The markets were a lovely place, filled with many people of all ages, shapes and sizes. And being around a large amount of people, freely acting as one of them, was strange, new and exciting to Airi. Within the Black Ops, you were only stationed around people for protection and guarding, unless on special occasions, such as this one, where you were placed on an undercover mission with an alias name. This was her first mission 'outside' of the Black Ops and it was taking a bit getting used to the amount of emotion expressed by people. But she loved it. It still boggled her mind as to why she was selected for this mission, and why the Hokage and her Anbu Black Ops leader insisted on her being the one to accompany Yamato on this mission. Yamato… There was something strange about that man, and Airi couldn't place it. He was that unfamiliar, but familiar face. Sure, he was handsome, and whenever she was around him she found herself looking at him secretively whenever she could. His onyx black eyes seemed to pierce deep into her soul. The thought caused her to shudder and she mentally shook off the thoughts of this strange and intriguing Yamato. But still, this mission, they would normally only be so concerned with Orochimaru if he planned on attacking the Leaf Village again, but checking out an old hideout on suspicions of it being used again? It was awfully strange to Airi. But she wasn't one to question an order when given one, particular by Lady Tsunade. Airi had come to a stop by a yellow swing, covered generously by a giant oak tree, inviting her to sit and rest from the hot sun. Airi collapsed into the swing and sighed contently as the cool breeze brushed against her cheek.  
"Well, I better get some rest before the mission,"

_Chapter 2_

_"No!" His screams were fruitless within the depths of the dungeon that held him captive. "Get away from me!" The grin on his face only widened, warping into a twisted sight, his evil laughs echoing around the room. Orochimaru reached for his wrists that were held defensively in front of his face, yanking the young boy his feet. Yamato kept his eyes squeezed shut as he felt the presence of Orochimaru's inches from his._

_"Look at me boy," Orochimaru's words were overlain with a lighter voice, one unfamiliar, and Yamato's eyes were forced open. He stared back into the eyes in front of his, the piercing, ice cold blue eyes that were inches from his own. It was Orochimaru's face, but the eyes, the eyes were those of another, until they shattered into a million pieces, like an exploding crystal, the pieces slicing into his own face and causing endless tears to course down his soft cheeks._

Yamato's eyes sprung open, the light of the moon lighting all but the dark corners of his room. He sat wearily and rubbed his hand down his face, sighing heavily and falling back onto the bed. He rolled onto his side and snuggled into his pillow, gazing into the twinkling stars outside of his window.

"Another dream..." Yamato's sleepy eyes drooped heavily, his body falling once again into the depths of unconsciousness.

The morning came all too soon, and Yamato felt as if he didn't get any sleep during the night. He still had plenty of time before he was to meet Airi for the mission, so he decided on a hot shower to relax his over-tense body. Yamato stepped into the hot cascading water that filled the bathroom with steam, and tipped his head back, facing the shower head. The hot water mildly scolded his face, but the pain washed away the dreams that haunted him during the night. 'What do these dreams even mean?' They were strange, and barely made sense to Yamato. Without memory of what actually happened back then, the dreams just seemed like twisted ways to play on his subconscious. The hot water relaxed the muscles in Yamato's body, and he was all fresh and clean from the musky cologne soap. He dressed in his flak jacket and navy uniform, his messy hair compacted under his headgear, he set off to meet up Airi at the main gates of the Leaf Village.


	3. Chapter 3 (Part three)

"On a mission are we, Yamato?"

"Where's the team?"

Kotetsu and Izumo were the Village's gate keepers, the famous ninja duo. They were the best of mates, and in the face of attack, their fighting skills match each other's perfectly and they because of bring so in sync with each other, they were a dangerous asset in the team.

"I'll be going with a fellow Black Ops member for this mission,"

A soft cough behind Yamato alerted him to his newest team mate standing behind him. He heard Izumo let out a quiet wolf whistle, and Airi's cheeks blushed a slight pink.  
"Are we ready to leave, Yamato?"  
Yamato nodded and glared at the two men who eyed Airi hungrily. Airi and Yamato both leapt off and headed towards the old hideout they'd been asked to investigate. Majority of the way, both of them had remained silent, unsure of where to pick up a conversation.  
"How long have you been a part of the Black Ops for?" Yamato asked curiously. Airi glanced at him briefly, never slowing as she pushed off branch from branch.  
"For as long as I can remember, I was a young child when they took me in," She smiled half heartedly. "I don't remember much of my childhood,"  
_'Huh,'_ Yamato gazed at the figure beside him and sighed. _'Why is there something so familiar about her?'_ they pressed on, heading towards the location given by Asuma's team, which was near the Tea Country.  
"A few nights ago, I saw you in the forest, using fire. What else can you do?" Airi blinked at Yamato and a smirk tugged at her pink lips.  
"Would you like me to show you?" They stopped running and stood on branches opposite each other. She made a few hand signals and winked at Yamato playfully. "Fire ball jutsu," a massive glow sprung from her fingers, and then advanced into a massive ball of fire. Although Yamato was a good 4 metres from her, he could feel the intense heat that it gave off, and he began to sweat. "Wind style, fire twister," Wind engulfed the ball of fire and twisted with a great pace, causing a tornado of fire to blaze brightly between them, the leaves of the tree began to burn and the twister pushed up through the tops of the forest. Yamato's eyes had been so caught up in the twister, that it was a shock when she released the jutsu and it disappeared right in front of him.  
"So you can control fire and wind style? The two styles come in pretty handy when they go hand to hand,"  
Airi smiled and nodded at Yamato, pressing forward towards the Tea Country. Yamato was impressed by her ability to control her jutsu so well.

The sun had begun to set, and running all day had exhausted them a little. Yamato conjured a wood house, suitable for them to sleep in for the night. They both laid comfortably on the floor, rugged up and settling for then night.  
"Yamato, you never told me when you joined the Anbu,"  
"I was young also, I don't remember how old. But I've been with them my whole life,"  
"Do you think it was the best thing for you?"  
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have overcome the tragedies of my past,"  
Airi didn't ask him for more details, to which he was relieved. He couldn't provide her with an answer anyway, even if she had bothered to ask.  
"I think I should've joined the military or something. I'm finding myself… a people person," she giggled half heartedly and sighed. "I've enjoyed being surrounded by the town's people of the Leaf Village. They're joyous and lively people. In the Anbu, you're not allowed to express or display emotion but… I enjoy being happy, and want to smile, and mean it. I want to experience friendship and love," Yamato listened intently. Since his stay at the Leaf Village, Yamato had become more accustom to emotions and using them. It felt like every day his emotions were becoming more natural. But no emotions meant there was no chance for pain.  
"I understand," Yamato sympathised. "But the Black Ops is all I know. And when I return, I will welcome my emotionless state with open arms. Less options for pain, I guess," His worlds trailed off and he could feel the pull of sleep, dragging him into unconsciousness.

_Yamato scratched the dark walls, searching for an exit, the earthy wall only crumbling beneath his finger tips."Quick, I can hear him coming!" A young voice whispered into his ears as a hand tugged on his frayed and dirty shirt. Fear gripped Yamato's heart, and he frantically pounded the walls of the Earth, wanting desperately to escape Orochimaru. He imagined what might be on the other side, maybe there is a tunnel? A river… The sun? A blinding white light burned into his vision, and the scene changed. He was clutching to the grass, his head sore and his body frail. Grass… Yamato's fingers curled around the blades and the feeling of the grass sent bliss through his heart. A pair of blue eyes appeared in front of his, a hand grabbing his own and pulling him to his feet. The body in front of him began to fade, wisps of smoke surrounding the figure and eating it up in front of him. His dream faded into blackness, his thoughts about those crystal blue eyes, the only thing keeping him company in unconsciousness._

_Chapter 3 – 2 Weeks later_

Yamato and Airi reached the hide out Orochimaru had used many years ago, for experimenting on victims. They scouted the area, searching for a way in and it wasn't long until they'd come across an opening, that led into the dark depths of the Earth. Nothing but darkness encased the steps the led further down into the Earth, and the unknown depth and dangers along the way, were playing on Yamato's mind.  
"Airi, use your fire to light up the way. Keep in mind, Orochimaru would have had traps set up throughout the hideout," Airi nodded and signalled her hands, setting fire to a large stick on the ground next to her. Yamato retrieved the torch, and descended down the poorly carved steps, watching for any signs of traps.  
"Something isn't right," Airi whispered from behind Yamato.  
"You're right, there are no bodies," The light softly touched the corridors of the tunnel, dried blood etching a musty coppered scent into their noses, but no bodies from which the blood had come from. "Could mean it was recently cleaned out by Orochimaru or his henchmen," The continued walking through the tunnel cautiously, peering into the sectioned off areas within. The sectioned off parts held old and frail jail type rooms. The bars rusted and barely standing within the earth, old haystack beds, withering within the corners of the cells. Yamato and Airi continued into the depths of the lair, nothing seemly out of order, until they reached a large wooden door, sealing the room behind. Yamato handed the touch to Airi, and used his Earth style to break the door down, revealing the room beyond. It was dark and smelt of mould, dirt and dry blood. Yamato extended his hand behind him, waiting to retrieve the torch, but he never received it in his palm. He turned, to see Airi's face stark white, and fearful.  
"Airi, are you alright?"  
"Yamato…"  
He stepped foot into the room, and lit up the area around him. An experiment table, covered in dry blood, the colour of rust, caused him to stop dead in his tracks. His head began to pound against his skull.

"No!" He fell to his knees, the contact with the ground instantly causing bruising. His palms dug deep into his eyes, trying to suppress the pain that coursed through his head. Even the white stars couldn't stop the memories flooding back in, like a river dam that collapsed, a rush of water escaping rapidly. Flashes passed his vision, the machines that hooked up to his soft flesh, sending shock waves through his skull. His body jolting as the shocks attacked his nervous system, sending his body into spasms of pain and fear.

"Argh!" Pain ripped through Yamato's skull as he fell to the floor, clutching his head in his hands.  
A vision of the scalpels slicing deep into his arms and stomach, sending crimson rivers cascading onto the experiment table.  
"Stop! Stop!" Yamato curled his body into a ball, wishing the pain would stop. He wanted to keep the memories as far away as possible, but the images of his childhood acted as visions he couldn't control.  
Orochimaru's face appeared above his own, blocking the surgeons light that pierced his baby onyx eyes. _'Please stop,' _he could hear himself beg. He screamed in agony as the cold metal made contact with his body once more, scarring him, his blood leaving him, causing him to pass out on the experiment table.  
He woke, a little body lying next to him, clinging to his own body. _'It's okay, I've got you,' _cooed the little body beside him, as she ran her fingers through his hair.  
"Airi," His voice whimpered.  
_'Quick! I can hear him coming!'_ He clawed at the wall, imagining an exit, praying it would appear in front of him. He only needed to break through the Earth. The footsteps grew louder. He pounded his fists against the Earths wall. His body began to ache, and he could sense it changing, as if he began to harden. _'What… What's happening?'_ He pressed his hand against the wall and could feel it give up, just a little. The little person beside him tugged on his rag shirt, fear hidden in their voice. _'Please! We need to get away from him,'_ Yamato screamed and punched his fist through the Earth, breaking the barrier that kept him locked within the walls, locked with lifeless bodies of failed experiments, locked away from the sun. He pulled the little body beside him and ran, ran through the tunnel that was dimly lit by torches. Although his body ached, and the tunnel never seemed to end, Yamato pushed on, dragging the girl without looking back, aiming for the tiniest glimpse of sunlight that was visible at the end of the tunnel. _'Sunlight means escape, I just know it,'_ He raced harder; until finally, they broke free of the prison hell he seemed to spend his whole childhood in. He fell to the ground, his body unable to carry him any further, aching from whatever helped him escape from the depths of the Earth. The soft grass tickled his face and he smiled limply, at the small touch of freedom that lay beneath his battered body. A pair of blue eyes appeared before his, tugging on his hand, encouraging him to move, but he couldn't. He didn't want to, he wanted to lie there forever, the grass on his face and warmth of the sun on his back. The voice of the little girl grew weaker and weaker, and finally; darkness.

Yamato squinted his eyes, trying to focus them on the face hovering above his. Gentle crystal blue eyes stared down into his own, the uncanny familiarity of them causing him to bolt upright and scramble away from the woman.

"Yamato, are you okay?" A sickly pale colour had ghosted over the pretty woman's face. Her fearful eyes expressing the emotion he felt and knew was showing in his own.  
"I remember… I remember everything that happened to me," He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing. Feeling a little more centred and relaxed, he opened his eyes and faced Airi. "You were there. You were captured by Orochimaru too, used as part of his experiments. But I thought… I thought I was the only survivor?" Airi shook her head and looked at the ground grimly.  
"I remember too, only not as vividly as I just experienced you remembering. I don't know how I survived, but I know that it was you who helped me escape," Yamato pulled his knees to his chest, and rest his forehead against them.  
"But then what… the last thing I remember is passing out,"  
Airi sat across from him, crossing her legs and signalling her hands, a small fire springing to life in front of them, warming his cold and shivering body.  
"When you passed out, a group of Anbu Black Ops had arrived. I found out later that they we're on their way to intercept Orochimaru's hideout, and had spotted me cuddling your body, crying for help. They'd arrived just in time, as Orochimaru emerged from the hideout. There was a massive battle, but you and I were carried off before it had begun…" Airi shrugged and sighed, warming her hands by the fire. "All I can guess, is that from there, we were brought up within the Anbu Black Ops in separate squads, and brought together now to discover our past," Yamato scooted closer to the fire, yearning for its warmth to spread deep within in, to chase away the cold memories that haunted him.


	4. More of Chap 3

"Well well… This does bring back some fond memories," His words snaked around Yamato, his body jumping into position for attack. "Did she tell you how we found you?"  
"Orochimaru you shut your mouth!" Orochimaru's sneer reached Airi and her face hardened.  
"Oh, so you haven't told him that it was you who had him captured,"  
"No!" Airi screamed and clapped her hands together, the fire roaring and transforming into the form of a wolf. The wolf lunged for Orochimaru, but Kabuto stepped in front and counter attacked it, his weapon slicing through the flames and dispersing the wolf. Airi signalled another few hand signs and stepped forward.  
"Fire style, fire knives," She blew on her finger tips and fire in the shape of knives launched at Kabuto, who deflected him with his scalpel.  
"Wood style, wood wall," A wall grew in front of Yamato and Airi, breaking through the roof of the Earth and allowing an escape root for them. The leapt up the wood steps and broke free from the Earth, racing off into the woods, back towards the land of fire.

They'd been running for some time, aiming for a safe distance away from Orochimaru. Certain they weren't being followed, Yamato attacked Airi from the side crushing her body into the bark of the tree, willing his wood style to trap her legs and arms. He pressed his Kunai against her neck and dug his arm into her chest, restraining her completely.  
"Tell me what that was about!" He spat the words at her, his face inches from hers, anger burning in his eyes and drilling into her own.  
"Get off me Yamato," Airi's anger matched his perfectly and their words butted causing fission in the air; thick tension visible between the two.  
"You had no right Airi! Tell me why you did it!" He pressed the Kunai a little deeper into her neck and pleaded with his eyes for an answer for the wrong she did by him.  
"Because I didn't want to be alone!" Tears welled in her eyes as she spat the words at him, guilt and grief bursting into her chest after so much restraint. Her feelings finally gave in and she couldn't contain her emotions anymore. "I'd been in the hands of Orochimaru for as long as I could remember, and I had no escape. When I found you, you were the only hope I had,"  
Yamato removed his Kunai and stepped from her, eyeing her cautiously.  
"You lured me in, so Orochimarui would capture me. So you had freedom,"  
"So I had hope!" She screamed at him, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, her blue eyes dulling with pain.  
"Why were you even there in the first place?"  
"Orochimaru sent me to the Village because I made a deal,"  
"So you were in league with him?"  
Airi's eyes glinted with anger and poison dripped from her words. "I would never, be in league, with Orochimaru,"  
"Then enough with the games! Explain yourself," Yamato's voice boomed within the small of the woods, Airi flinching only slightly from the power within them. Her eyes dropped to the ground and the image of that day played in her mind.

"I'll make a deal with you, little girl," Orochimaru's face frightened Airi, but she listened carefully. "You find me some more experiments, and I'll stop testing on you," His words were covered in slick, evil oil, but the images of the cold sharp metal digging into her body caused her to shiver with fear. She didn't like the sharp metal, or the big machines that made awful noises when they were attached to her body. And when they pressed a button on the machine, it caused her a great deal of pain, and it made her cry. She nodded at the man, tears running down her cheeks and dampening her rags.  
"Stop your pathetic crying and put this on," Orochimaru chucked a cloak at her and she obeyed. Following a man from her cell, through dank and scary tunnels, they passed other cells that held growling men and children within them. She cowered from the hands that reached for her and the eyes that read sadness and fear, matching her own feelings. They'd reached the end of the tunnel, and a blinding light forced her eyes to squint. It was glorious to her, the sun that warmed her face. It'd been a long time since she last saw the sun after being stuck in the dark earthy cells for so long. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked up towards the bright blue sky above them, fluffy white clouds decorating it beautifully. She giggled and glanced at the grass beneath her bare feet. It tickled her, but it felt incredible. Soft and welcoming and she wanted to lie within the blades. But she was being pushed along by a henchman of Orochimaru's.  
They walked for quite some time, her little legs aching from such extraneous exercise that she wasn't used to, but she pushed on, not wanting to anger the scary man in front of her. They'd reached a village and the man stopped her from walking into it.  
"I will wait here, you retrieve a worthy test subject, and bring them back out here to me," She gulped and nodded once.  
"And before you get any bright ideas about telling anyone," The man held a piece of paper and made a hand signal, the paper folding into a mouse that came to life in the palm of his hand. The mouse squeaked and he tucked it within her cloak and glared at her.  
"I can hear everything you say little girl, you mention anything, and I will kill you,"  
She gasped and backed away from the man, through the village gates. She walked through the middle of the town, her tummy rumbling from all the smells that coursed through her nostrils and made her salivate from hunger. She passed a little shop that held fresh fruit, delicious red apples in reach of her child hands. She stopped and reached for the apple, sinking her teeth into the shiny red flesh, juices filling her mouth and satisfying the taste buds that ached at the sweetness.  
"Hey! Hey you! That's stealing," An angry man from the counter leant over and reached for her wrist, pulling her up by her arm.  
"Mr! Please, that h-hurts," She stuttered out.  
"I'll pay for it, here," some money was handed over to the man and Airi was dropped onto the dirt path.  
"Fine, have the apple you little brat," Airi picked up the apple and dusted it off, delicately biting into it once more.  
"Where are your parents?" A young boy a few years older than Airi, bent in front of her face and smiled sweetly at her. Airi shrugged and took another chunk of apple into her mouth, chewing it happily. "Can I walk you home?" He held out his hand and Airi took it cautiously. _'Maybe he can get us out. He's really kind, and he just saved me now,' _Airi smiled up at the boy adoringly and tugged onto his hand, still chomping into the half eaten apple. They'd almost reached the gate when the boy tugged back on her hand.  
"Is your home outside of the village?" Airi nodded, and looked up at the boy with pleading eyes. "Okay then," he sighed and walked outside of the gate, Airi close at his heels, finishing up the delicious apple.  
"Good work little girl, I didn't think you would do it," The man grabbed the boy by the arms and restrained him.  
"What are you doing?! Let go of me!"  
"Please, don't hurt him! He helped me," The bad man laughed off her pleas and knocked the boy out, throwing him over his shoulder. Airi cried helplessly as she watched the man walk off, guilt filling her heart.  
"Move it! You don't want Orochimaru to be angry do you?" Airi rushed up to the man, her eyes locked to the limp body that dangled from the man's shoulder.

Her eyes found Yamato's and she begged him for forgiveness.  
"I was young, and scared. I didn't know what was going on, and you were the only hope I had,"  
Yamato shook his head. The pain he'd dealt with when down in his lair, how could he ever forgive her? Tears coursed down her soft cheeks and he felt a pang of sympathy. She was only a young and frightened child. He sighed and released the wood style that held her, sinking to the ground. Airi knelt in front of Yamato, placing her hand delicately on his knee.  
"I can't express how sorry I am Yamato, or how thankful that you got us out,"  
Yamato stood and weakly smiled at the woman in front of him.  
"Let's get home,"

The night had fallen and they set up camp within the wood style home Yamato conjured. They roasted fresh fish from the river not far from them, over a hot fire that Airi brought to life. They silently ate their dinner, their own thoughts consuming their minds. Over the past few weeks, Airi had grown to like Yamato, they'd gotten along well, until of course, he found out how he fell into Orochimaru's hands. She desperately thought of how she could make it up to this man, how she could come back from the wrong doing she did when she was only little. Yamato's sigh caught her attention and he faced her.  
"I think that, if I was in your position at that age, I probably would have done the same thing," Airi didn't say a word, she only listened.  
"You were too young to understand what was happening to you, and I too would have jumped at a hopefully opportunity. I can't say I forgive you for what happened to me in my childhood. But, you're right," He shrugged and leant back onto the floor boards, propping his head on his arms. "We made it out alive and well… We turned out just fine,"  
"What I did Yamato, it was unforgivable,"  
"You were young Airi, I get it. I can't dwell on the past. What I can do, is prevent future generations from suffering the same childhood that I had. Orochimaru's hideouts need to be brought down,"  
Airi nodded and stretched her back, clicking her sore bones into place.  
"I couldn't agree more, Yamato,"  
"Then for now, we need to get a message to Lady  
Tsunade. Then we'll get some sleep,"  
Airi nodded and summoned a fire eagle from the fire. She attached a scroll to the leg of the fire eagle and released it out of the window, the bird set in the direction of their home. She retreated from the window and settled into the makeshift bed at the other end of the room, snuggling into the warm blanket, silent tears flowing from her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry it's taken me so long for me to post the rest of the story. I just had a serious case of writers block.  
Some of you might not be happy about the lovey-dovey ending, but I wrote this short story for a friend of mine, and the events happened the way they did, because that's how the asked for the story.  
But I hope you enjoy it anyway. I did, it was interesting to write about a character I knew nothing about. And making up Yamato's past was a fun task :)  
3 Kimberlae.**

_Chapter 4_

Airi was woken during the night by strange sounds coming from Yamato at the other end of the room. Her bleary eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could see Yamato's body tossing and turning within his blankets, muffled moans and cries filling the room around them. Airi tossed her blanket aside and walked the short distance to him. She looked over him and her heart broke, fear and sadness covered his sleeping face. Airi sat beside the distraught Yamato and pulled him into her arms, cradling him and cooing him, stroking his hair as he began to wake. He pulled away from her arms and gazed at her confused.

"You were having a nightmare," She looked away shyly and tucked her hands into her lap.

"Oh," Yamato wiped his hand across his face and stretched, a yawn escaping from his sculptured mouth. "Thank you," He settled back into the blanket, sitting across from Airi and gazing at her curiously.

"What?" Airi's red cheeks deepened even further as her studied her.

"Your eyes. They were what I remembered most when my memories of my childhood came back to me," The moon lit up her crystal blue iris' and Yamato's smile widened. "They're beautiful. I don't know how I could have forgotten who they belonged to,"

Airi wanted to crawl under her blanket to hide the ridiculous smile that was plastered on her face. Her cheeks heated up more and she was sure they'd be set on fire if she blushed any longer. Yamato yawned once more and rubbed at his eyes tenderly.

"I don't think I could get back to sleep right now even if I tried. I'm gonna go for a run,"

Airi nodded and decided that perhaps a run would refresh her and wake her up completely. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Yamato smiled and stood from his bed, Airi, doing the same. They both performed a five minute stretch, giggling at each others ridiculous poses during their stretch routine, then set off as the sun began to rise.

The run was refreshing. The crisp and cold morning air whipped Yamato's face as he raced through the trees, waking him completely from his drowsy state. He could see Airi's figure off to the side and he watched her gracefully race through the forest, keeping up with him flawlessly. They'd reached the edge of the forest, a cliff lining the edge of the ocean, the bright morning sun lighting up the delicate waves that crashed against it. Yamato's and Airi's running faltered as they stopped to marvel over the beauty of the ocean before them.

"It's so lovely here..." Airi reached Yamato's side, her eyes falling over the ocean, in awe of the site before her. Yamato's eyes had stopped looking at the ocean and instead had fallen upon her. Despite everything that had happened, he felt a connection to Airi that he couldn't quite explain, and he thought she was beautiful. The sunlight lit up her face, her pale skin glossing against the sun's rays. A tiny, almost invisible scar on the side of her chin stood out in the suns light, making her features that more beautiful. And her eyes, Yamato found himself lost in her blue eyes that crystallised under the sun glare. The light blue was as clear as the ocean beneath their feet. Airi's gaze met his and a small smile played across her soft pink lips.

He was attracted to this woman, without a doubt. And although the history between them, he felt a serious connection with her. He couldn't explain why. Not just because of her beauty, or her girlish features when around him, or her warrior strong determination and fighting abilities. He felt himself leaning towards her, as if on instinct. She was completely oblivious to Yamato's attempts to be near her, his attempt to press his lips against hers.  
It was an absolute shock to her when he planted them firmly on her lips, that she almost stumbled back right off of the cliff.  
"Whoa, careful now," Yamato reached around her waist and pulled her close and away from the edge.  
"Well maybe you shouldn't catch me off guard like that,"  
"A good Ninja is never off guard," Yamato teased. Her wrapped his arms around her tighter and cuddled her.  
"Let's head back," he whispered into her ear. Airi'a face flushed a bright red and she giggled at his suggestive words.  
"Yamato, are you feeling okay?"  
"Ever since I woke up in your arms Airi," Her smile dropped a little, a shy one in its place.

A slight humming alerted Yamato and he quickly pulled the Kunai from his pouch, and turned to deflect the one that was aimed at his face. Airi pulled her weapon from her pouch and they both stood defensively by the cliffs edge.  
Kabuto and another henchmen appeared from the trees, walking towards the pair, a smug look on their faces.  
"Didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye now, would we?" Kabuto pushed his glasses against his face and aimed his needles at Yamato once more.  
Yamato dodged the attack and threw his Kunai at Kabuto.  
"Wood style, wooden clone!" A second Yamato merged from his body and ran for Kabuto, just as the original Yamato.  
He barely sliced his Kunai into Kabuto's arm, who leapt back and through his needles into the clone.  
"Ahh!" Yamato turned briefly to spot the thug Airi had been fighting had struck her in the leg with his Kunai. It was a mistake to turn away from Kabuto, because he'd leapt forward and sliced a small gash into Yamato's chest, as he jumped away.

Airi stood shakily and glared at her attacker.  
"Fire style, fire ball jutsu!" She inhaled deeply and blew the fire ball at her attack. His arm was brutally burnt, but he continued to attack her head on, which was to her disadvantage. She pulled her Kunai on his, blocking and striking against his attacks. Airi spotted a slight distraction and plunged her Kunai deep into the man's heart, who poofed in front of her.  
"Should've known it was a shadow clone. Ah!" She knee gave way and she collapsed to the floor. "God dammit!" She scanned the area, searching for the real thug. A shurikan sliced through the air and she rolled away from it, leaping in time to dodge another two. She glanced at where they were coming from, but a shurikan to the left was thrown and dug itself into her shoulder blade.  
"No!" She collapsed once more and winced at the pain in her shoulder.  
"Airi!"  
"I'm fine Yamato!" She looked in his direction and saw him bleeding from his chest, Kabuto and himself equally exhausted. _'Time to end this.'  
_"Fire style, fire wolf!" Airi blew upon her fingers and a ball of fire formed in front of her. It began to transform into the shape of a wolf.  
"Sniff him out boy," The wolf howled and lifted its nose, sniffing the cool breeze. It ran in the direction of the thug, and Airi stood painfully, and raced behind the wolf, Kunai's collected between each of her fingers. She threw them in the direction of the thug, drawing him from behind the trees. The wolf lunged at the man and gripped its teeth into his arm, causing his screams to echo across the cliff.  
"Now you die!" Airi signalled her fingers and the wolf exploded on top of the man, burning his body dangerously. Airi leapt onto his burning body and plunged her Kunai deep into his chest. The man coughed, blood spluttering over her neck and chest, before laughing cruelly, dying before her eyes.

Kabuto abruptly stopped attacking, and pushed his glasses up, a smirk crossing his face.  
"What are you smiling about?"  
"I'll be seeing you around," His body dispersed in the air. _'That was weird… Why did he just leave, mid battle?' _Yamato turned to see Airi fall to the floor, blood oozing from the wounds. He raced towards her limp body and cradled her in his arms.  
"Hang in there Airi," He kicked into a run, carefully cuddling her body to his, eager to fix her wounds.

_Chapter 5_

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Despite all that they have been through, and everything that he'd learnt about her, he still cared for her. The amount of history they had between each other was more than anything else Airi had with anyone. Sure, it wasn't all pleasant, but in the past few weeks they'd been together, they'd fallen in sync, matched to each other and their abilities, strong willed and capable as long as they had each other through the hard times. She'd felt a connection with him the moment her eyes spotted him in the markets, gazing at her. She felt like a strong and beautiful woman around him, yet delicate and precious whenever he showed his feelings to her. She was certain he felt the same, certain that he too felt a connection to her, and that his feelings had grown for her too. Though her body ached from the physical pain she just endured, she reached for Yamato's face. Her fingers gingerly caressed his cheek, and he leant into her touch as he cradled her body in his arms.

"Yamato I..."

"Shh," Yamato pressed a soft and gentle kiss to her forehead. Airi's eyes closed and she sighed contently as his lips made their way across her cheek and down to her soft lips. Their kiss held. Tender and sweet, nothing more than a precious connection, but it sent fireworks exploding within the pits of her stomach. His arms tightened around her carefully without causing any pain, and he pulled her tighter against his bare chest. Airi snuggled against him as she brushed her lips over his chin, the spiky whiskers tickling her lips. She giggled unexpectedly and Yamato gazed down at her amused.

"You need to shave," she winked playfully. Yamato's chest rumbled as he laughed. Airi's fingers traced down his chest and the newly open wounds gaped angrily against them. She shivered and anger over what Kabuto had done to this beautiful man coursed through her. "I will kill him for scarring you'"

Yamato looked down at the cuts that Airi had cleaned beforehand and shrugged.

"They're battle scars, they'll heal soon enough. I'm pretty positive your scars are worse,"

Airi received a stab wound to her leg, which was now bounded by Yamato's shirt, and her shoulder blade also received a deep cut from the shurikan. Yamato attended to her wound, and wrapped it in the little bit of bandage in their medical kit.

Airi leant forward and kissed around the cuts, her eyes examining him completely. He was still so amazing. She tipped her head towards Yamato and kissed him, this time, deeper than the first. Her kiss was hungry, desperate to feel all of him and express how much she cared for him. Even though it caused her pain, she moved to straddle him and she linked her fingers behind his head, pressing her kisses into his neck. Yamato wrapped his arms around her waist kissed her back, passion blossoming within the kiss as his mouth explored hers. Yamato moaned softly in Airi's ear as he nibbled on her gently.  
The sound of water droplets lightly padded on the roof of the wooden home Yamato made, the drops falling harder and heavier, cascading past the windows and almost drowning out the sound of their heavy breathing between kisses. The rain made the mood all that much more romantic and Airi found herself lost in Yamato's touch as his hands wandering and investigated her body, his mouth barely breaking contact with hers.  
A crash of thunder echoed through the room, a bolt of lightning shining against Yamato's sweet, onyx eyes that gazed into her own. Shifting Airi slightly, Yamato moved so he could lay over her and stare down into her crystal blue eyes.  
"Yamato, I want…" Airi words were broken off by Yamato's lips against hers once more as his fingers popped the buttons of her red top, and slid it from her body, tossing it to the side. Airi gasped and her fingers curled around his hair, gently pulling with excitement. Yamato kissed down her stomach and to her waist, his fingers now fumbling with her shorts, and removing them with ease from her slender hips and legs. His kissed his way back to her chin and across her jaw line, pressing his hardened body into her, her arms snaking around his back.

As Yamato kissed her body, his ached with need to feel it against him. The light from the occasional flash lightning produced an elegant white light against her body that made her look like a goddess. Her brown hair lay messily around her, framing her face, and those blue eyes. Yamato was lost in them as he pressed his body to hers, lost in the passion and need to be within her. Her kisses fell onto his lips once more as she tackled pulling his pants from his body and with a little help, successfully retrieving them and throwing them with the rest of the pile. They lay there, completely naked, finding warmth and comfort from each other's body and Yamato couldn't resist her any longer. Moans enticed his body to enter hers and make love to her endlessly throughout the night.

The lay there, in the early hours of the morning, their bodies tangled with each other and  
and the blanket pulled around their bodies haphazardly, warming them from the storm that played a beautiful light show outside. Airi's head cradled on Yamato's chest, their hearts beating together, their breathing still heavy from the moment they just shared together. She propped her head upon her arm and looked at Yamato, a smile tugging at the corners of her soft pink lips. He leant forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead and ran his fingers through her hair, catching the locks that fell in front of her face.  
"Well, that was amazing…" Airi sighed contently and closed her eyes, images replaying through her mind.  
"It was, wasn't it?" She could hear the smile in his voice. They cuddled against each other, falling asleep within moments, delicious dreams seeping into their subconscious.


End file.
